Cellulite - No need to rub it in

So scientists are now saying that anti cellulite creams and lotions don't work, after a properly controlled study of the products in the United States. Tests - on 11 women - showed that the creams were found to have no effect on cellulite and were really no more use than an ordinary moisturizer, but the curious thing was the women's perception of their effect - it turns out that they generally felt better about the appearance of their legs. Dr Bonita Marks, of the University of North Carolina, the study's chief researcher,said: "Manufacturers of these creams rake in the bucks for a product that doesn't work. They feed on unfounded, poor self-images many women have of their bodies." But can the same not be said of hair colourants and make-up - even clothing? Isn't there a huge industry of artifice aimed at women, also raking in the bucks? Yes, very many of us do suffer from low self-esteem, but many of us also suffer from cellulite/poor skin/piggy eyes/thin lips - the list of "perceived faults" is endless. We know that the only way to really cure cellulite is a combination of diet and exercise, but stimulating the tissue by massaging lotion in every day will also help. So name-branded anti-cellulite creams may be expensive, but often no more so than the same brand's expensively packaged body cream. And if they make us feel that little bit better about ourselves and spur us on to exercise and eat healthily, what's the problem?

Luminess Air: Sheer Heaven

Let colour wash over you with this spring's easy-to-apply lip, eye and cheek products, says Karen Wheeler.Here's some news to gladden the heart of anyone whose skill with a blending airbrush brush resembles Van Gogh's. Despite what you see on the wackier catwalks, the current trend is for sheer make-up that adds a subtle wash of colour, rather than solid blocks of hyperpigmented creams.

Calvin Klein, Shiseido, Clarins and Estee Lauder have all opted for "colourwash" make-up in their spring collections. These products may look bright in the palette or pot, but once you apply them, they add the merest hint of see-through colour. "Washes are foolproof. They are great for people who love colour, but who aren't good at blending, since the formulations do all the work for you," says Paul Herrington, an airbrush make-up artist at the Personal Beauty Studio at Dickins & Jones in London.

We have new technology to thank for this. As Tom Pecheux, the make-up artist behind Shiseido's new range, The Makeup, explains: "The pigment molecules are surface treated with a double coating of silicon to prevent the individual pigments clumping together." This creates a transparent veil of colour that stays in place without fading or creasing. "It's a fresh look, and it's hard to apply it badly," says Pecheux, who used sheer make-up at the Marni and Miu Miu spring/summer catwalk shows. "If it looks too light, you build it up in layers." Calvin Klein is also a fan -his make-up range features weightless cheek, lip and face washes that imitate the lightness of the fabrics in his summer collection. Estee Lauder's spring collection is called Sheer Innocence, and includes delicate corals, lilacs and limes. The Compact Disc Eyeshadow in Lime Juice -as worn by Liz Hurley in the latest Lauder adverts -is arguably this season's most fashionable colour.For additional reference on luminess air you can visit us at http://thebeautyreviewer.com/luminess-air/luminess-air-reviews/.